PMO Management
Run the PMO as a service business
Managing a PMO means delivering a defined set of services reliably, at an agreed cost, to identifiable customers. Core operational elements: a demand and intake process so work is prioritized rather than absorbed; capacity and resource visibility; performance reporting that supports decisions instead of restating data; governance facilitation (agendas, decision logs, gate reviews); benefits tracking; a communications plan segmented by stakeholder; a PMO competency and development plan; and a budget with a clear funding basis.
Define roles with a RACI so accountability for delivery stays with project and business owners, while the PMO owns the system: standards, data integrity, transparency, and facilitation.
Traps. The most common is the report factory - judging PMO success by volume of reports and dashboards rather than by decisions improved. Second, taking ownership of projects: once the PMO manages delivery, it loses its independent view and collides with line accountability. Third, unmanaged service scope creep, where every ad hoc request becomes a permanent offering. Fourth, reporting progress without forecasts or benefit information. Fifth, ignoring stakeholder perception until an annual survey.
Worked example. Change request handling: rather than approving changes itself, the PMO defines the change process, validates impact data, and schedules the decision with the accountable board - escalating only exceptions. The PMO is then judged on cycle time and decision quality, not on the count of changes processed.
Rule of thumb: for every recurring report or meeting, name the decision it enables and who makes it. If neither exists, stop producing it or redesign it.